One Day More
by Dwight4Studly
Summary: Remus takes every day as they come, thankful for every chance he can get. Set during OotP. Slash RemusSirius. A day in the life of Remus Lupin.


A.N./ Well ... Hmn. First off, Remus and Sirius are still, and will stay, together in a relationship. The whole thing in the book is not justified at all. There was no build-up to a possibility of Remus/Tonks. It just ... Happened! Which is a big "NO" in my book, thank you very much. But we're not here to talk about the book. We're here to read stories. At least MinervaEvenstar knows how strongly I feel about the subject, don't you sweetheart? I will not, however, listen to anyone who dares try and convert me to Remus/Tonks. I swear it. So please, don't even try.

**_Please, please, PLEASE do not flame me because I continue to ship Remus and Sirius_**. I will always continue to sail this ship. If you're here to flame me because you heart Remus/Tonks so very much you think you just might pop out of your skin, you're wasting your breath, energy, and time. As well as mine. Just don't do it.

So, reviews are always welcomed and loved in their own unique way. If you like the story and review, then I will be able to know that there are people out there who feel the same way that I do and will encourage me to continue writing on this site. So, I hope you enjoy and, of course, review.

**One Day More**

Remus woke to the feel of Sirius' tight grip from behind him and thin legs entangled with his own. A warm smile curled his lips upwards as Sirius snuffled against the back of his neck, just as Padfoot would often do on lazy afternoons when no one was watching. Parched lips brushed that sensitive spot just below his hairline and he let out a great _whoosh_ of breath and slightly wriggle under Sirius' touch.

He wanted, needed, more sleep but he knew that once he was awake, there would be no return to that peaceful slumber. Instead, he opted to lie there, enjoying the sound of the other man's breathing just behind his ear as it stirred wisps of his graying hair. Sirius shifted again, moving his arms lower from Remus' chest to his waist, resting his hand on the flat plane of his abdomen. A few more quiet moments passed and Sirius groaned; Remus knew that his lover would soon wake, also.

Remus turned in the loving arms, smiling as Sirius' unshaven face came into view. Those gray eyes blinked open and glinted in the morning lit room, just a glimmer full of promise for the day ahead. It was a welcome change from the man that Remus had encountered earlier in those last two years. This man, two years fresh from Azkaban, battered and bruised, had changed so much and at the same time so little.

Remus could only give another smile, leaning in closer, his hand roaming up to a broad shoulder. Sirius visibly swallowed as Remus moved his slender hand up his chest, running long fingers over the lithe muscles and jutting bone. He no longer looked the same; that Remus knew was true. But as he rested his hand over Sirius' heart, as he felt that familiar beat, the song of his life, he knew that this was the same man that he fell in love with. Even with the scuff marks and internal tears, Sirius was still the same.

Mesmerized for the instant, Remus watched his own hand move over his mate's thin chest, listening intently to the relaxed breaths that would occasionally catch in Sirius' lungs.

He was so deeply lost in thought that he was surprised when Sirius kissed the tip of his nose. He blinked a few times before smiling sheepishly. Sirius shook his head, leaning in to capture the lips in front of him. The mouth, so warm and familiar, on his own made Remus melt into Sirius' body, thanking every deity he could think of that he was in this position now.

If he had been asked only a few years ago if he would ever find himself kissing Sirius Black he would have laughed at the poor, unknowing soul. He would have laughed in their face and run to the nearest shelter to let loose his pain. Yet, here he was.

Sirius nudged his nose against Remus' cheek, grinning sleepily. "Have to get up?" he asked, running a hand through his hair, whisking away strands of black bangs. Remus smiled, catching that wandering hand in front of their faces. He held it there, intertwining their fingers together, astonished that after everything they had been through the simple touch still caused his stomach to knot up.

Remus kissed him chastely on the lips, "Yes, I'm afraid so." With that, he rolled over and out of the bed.

Sirius gave an exasperated sigh, laying in his back and squinting his eyes shut. He grabbed Remus' pillow and threw it atop his head. As Remus stretched and searched for a clean pair of trousers, he could hear muffled screams of frustration from his friend, and he grinned bemusedly.

Finally pulling on a decent pair of pants, he strapped on a belt and leaned over into the bed bare-chested. He lifted the pillow from Sirius' face. "You could have suffocated just now. And where would that leave me?"

"At least I would have died happily. Smelled of you in there, it did."

Remus gave a short laugh, and leaned down to lay next to the other wizard. "You are an interesting one," he said, brushing away a lock of hair from Sirius' face lovingly. "Tell you what: if you don't drown yourself in down-feather, I'll stay home for the day."

Sirius turned on his side and propped his head on his hand with his elbow bent. He gave a sad smile and kissed Remus' forehead briefly. "This is not a home," he said bleakly, reaching from behind Remus' head and pressing their brows together tenderly.

"It is while you're here with me, Sirius." Remus said simply, knocking their heads together playfully. Sirius reappeared in sight and smiled, kissing him one last time before rising from the bed himself.

"And that wasn't a fair deal," Sirius groaned, stretching his naked torso as his spine audibly cracked under the exertion. He gasped after the last bone snapped into place, the muscles under ghostly white skin tightening. Remus couldn't keep his eyes away from the scene, drinking Sirius' image 'til he was full. Sirius' skin was paler than the moon, hair as dark as the midnight sky, and his eyes sparkled as bright as stars. Remus shivered, realizing that he was in love the very thing he feared the most. Shrouded with secrets over the years he had missed out on, Sirius was the night incarnate.

Remus shook his head and ran his hand roughly through his hair. Sirius tossed him a clean shirt and pulled one on himself. "How is that?" Remus asked, buttoning up the front and adjusting his collar.

Sirius walked from around his side of the bed and helped Remus with the stiff fold of fabric. After he was all straightened out, Sirius kissed him softly and ran his hands broadly down Remus' sides. "You wouldn't have been able to stay. Dumbledore needs you to do work for the Order … that's why you're always gone," he said with a edgy tone, then gave Remus an odd look. "Right?"

Remus chuckled and took Sirius' face in his hands. He kissed Sirius' chin, the stubble scratching his lips, moving to his mouth, and the tip of his nose. "Silly pup," he cooed.

Sirius gripped around his waist, pulling him tightly against his body. Remus deepened the kiss, loving the feel of that body, mouth, and breath, everything Sirius against him. He ran his hand down to a broad shoulder again and pushed away gently. Their eyes met and they held the gaze meaningfully, telling more than words could ever fathom to. Sirius closed his eyes and lowered his head slightly. "Do we have to go out into the world just yet?"

Remus tapped the center of his forehead, causing him to look up, and nodded. They left their haven together and out into the halls of Grimmauld Place. "At least you're here today," Sirius said, closing the door behind them. Remus gave another nod and they made their way down to the kitchen.

Molly was cleaning out one of the cabinets when they walked in through the door. "It's a bit late, don't you think?" She asked, pulling out a jar with slimy goop sticking to one side. She nearly dropped it in surprise, but pulled out her wand and sent it to the trash bin.

"What time is it?" Remus asked, pulling out his own wand and making two cups of tea in dark blue teacups and four pieces of lightly brown toast. Sirius quietly thanked him for the tea and toast with a smile and downed them both, the tea still steaming in his hands.

"Half passed ten," said Molly, sounding a bit annoyed as she brushed her red hair from her face. Remus made her a cup and motioned for her to sit down. "Thank you, Remus," she said, dabbing her face with her apron and sitting with them.

"Has there been anything new this morning?" asked Sirius, as he started on his second cup already, uncharacteristically quiet this morning.

Even Molly picked up the nature of Sirius' mood, "Actually nothing, thankfully. Is there something the matter, Sirius?"

Sirius gave a short chuckle into his tea and only replied, "Always the mother, aren't you?"

Remus cleared his throat, finishing his cup quickly and asked whether he had any paper work due at the moment. "There should be some paper work in the dining room. Kingsley set them out for you around eight this morning and Kreacher almost got hold of them. There aren't that many, just a few mundane procedures needed to be filled out. The rest of the day, so far, has you to be on call."

"Where's Dumbledore?"

"Merlin only knows. He's gone for longer periods of time each day. Like he's slowly drifting away," said Molly pensively. A moment of silence that passed through the group, and each individual were plagued with their own fears: Molly's for the safety of her family, most of which were in an unprotected Hogwarts; Sirius' for the precious time he had lost and was still losing every day; and Remus for a strange mixture of both.

"Well," said Remus, breaking the tense silence. "Better get those papers finished." With that, his cup disappeared into thin air and he excused himself. Sirius sent him a look briefly before sending his own cup to the sink where suds built around the dishes. He started to follow him, but Molly stopped him.

"You can help me clean out the den. I found a fresh nest of Doxy eggs, which means that the banishing spell isn't working properly. Also, there is another… "

But Remus didn't hear what Sirius' next instructions were as the door closed behind him. He found his papers and carried them into the library, where he usually did his work. The room was heavy with dark magic. Evil ancient spells where defiantly once practiced here, most likely at the very desk that Remus sat himself. Yet, it was the most quiet out of all of the rooms and, after time and with a bit of sun, the heaviness wasn't as unbearable.

When he was nearly done with the last sheet of parchment, he felt a pair of lips brush the back of his neck that prickled the hair on his scalp. He continued working, pretending that he hadn't noticed. He heard a huff and a gust of air hit his neck and he contained a chuckle at the impatient gesture. A chin, coarse with stubble, rubbed against his sensitive flesh and a nose nuzzled into his hair.

"Finish your chores, then?" Remus asked, dipping his quill into his ink. He scribbled down a few more figures in his rush and blew down gently on the drying ink.

"You've been here an hour, Remus. I think you need a break," said Sirius, kissing that tender spot once again. A pair of hands made their way from behind and rested on his chest, the heaviness of them comforting even in the room that seemed to smother most of the wizards that passed through the house.

"Hardly," Remus laughed shortly and folded the parchments together, sticking them in a safe empty drawer. "I take it that you sneaked of to visit me?"

"Molly is ever the commander. Even in my ruddy house, I still …" he sighed into Remus' hair and hugged closer to his back. Remus put his hands over the two on his chest and leaned back. After a few moments, Remus couldn't tell which parts belong to which body and he raised one of the hands to his lips. He kissed every individual finger as they twitched under his caress. Sirius hair tickled his cheek as he leaned closer to rest his weary head on Remus' shoulder. Remus turned and kissed him softly, pulling him around.

Sirius obeyed willingly, only breaking the kiss once as he crawled into the chair with Remus, straddling his waist and resting comfortably in his lap. The kiss deepened and Remus felt his chest swell under every touch. He had never felt such love for another person before and remembered there being a time when he was afraid of it. But as Sirius' tongue ran over the inside of his mouth, sending waves of pleasure crashing into his center, Remus couldn't believe that he had been afraid of something so wonderful.

"You make me feel young again," breathed Remus between kisses, bringing Sirius, if possible, closer to his body. Sirius shivered in his arms and kissed his cheeks, his forehead, and, again, his lips. They were both desperate for this. Desperate to cling to every last second and spark of touch.

"It doesn't matter that I have no money," he breathed again, burying his face into Sirius' shoulder. "I'm richer than any king that ever walked this earth, because I have you here in my arms." Tears prickled at the center of his nose and he squeezed his eyes tightly to banish them.

Sirius groaned, not strictly out of pleasure, but out of a sort of relief and thankfulness as their clinging became almost painful. No matter how tightly they held on to each other, however, it didn't matter and they molded their bodies in a vain effort to cross a barrier between them. Remus wished that he could discard his flesh and become one with the man that he loved with all of his soul. That way, they would never part, no matter where either of them ended up. He would never have to loose Sirius again.

"And when I'm with you," he concluded, taking Sirius' face in his hands and pressing their foreheads together, "I never feel dangerous. You tame the beast inside of me, and I never have to worry about loosing control."

He felt Sirius smile as their lips pressed together again, and Sirius whispered against his mouth: "I love you."

They sat in that tight embrace for, what seemed, eternity. All that mattered were their arms and hands and hips and lips touching. Their breathing became one, their souls brushing with every touch of skin and fabric. Sirius ran his hand through Remus' tawny hair, lifting his face to lay against the side of Remus' crown. It wasn't until Sirius lifted his head when Remus caught the smell of fresh clothes and sugar that he noticed that someone else was in the room. His head quickly shot up, nearly causing Sirius to lose balance.

"Tonks," said Sirius darkly. "Knocking would have been the polite thing to do."

Remus was expecting the girl to stammer and blush, but, the ever-surprising girl she was, did nothing of the sort. She surveyed the scene and grinned toothily. "You two," but she stopped short and turned to the door. "You two might think of a different location next time. Maybe," she called over her shoulder as she turned, "somewhere a bit more secluded."

Once she left, Remus gave Sirius a pointed look. "She knew?"

Sirius leaned back, taking in Remus whole face, and grinned. "Afraid so. She's the only one, to my knowledge. Molly might, but I doubt it. If she does, she makes a great job of hiding it."

"You told her, though?"

"She was asking more about you when I found her for the order. She didn't remember you too much when I mentioned you. She was too young to remember you from after we got out of school, so I just told her a few things," Sirius said, getting up and shifting his clothes back into place. Remus felt the cold of the house rush to him again without Sirius against him, but brushed it off and stood as well.

"What did you tell her?" he asked, cleaning off the rest of the desk, avoiding Sirius' eyes.

"Well, I told her that you were a strapping man with the best looking arse in the country." Remus glared at him, and Sirius laughed. "No, I just told her that you went to school with me and James, and that you and I were …"

"That we were …?" Remus pressed curiously, lifting his eyebrows.

"… In love." Sirius finished, holding his gaze. Remus felt his heart tense and skip a beat. He smiled warmly, finishing his work quickly.

The rest of the day passed as normally as possible. The only upsetting event was when Molly stumbled upon an ashwinder making a nest in the study. Remus though that Sirius would never quit complaining about his burnt finger. Even the Order meeting was uneventful. Most members were on missions, which left only Remus, Sirius, Arthur, Molly, and Mundungus. The house became grimmer as people started to leave and Remus excused himself to his room. Molly said her goodnights and Arthur tipped his head toward him. Sirius soon joined him.

That night, they made love with so much tenderness Remus thought that he might shatter. When Sirius was reaching his climax, he threw his head into Remus shoulder, and Remus could feel a pool of wetness form on his bare skin. It wasn't until they both came and Sirius refused to lift his head that Remus knew they were tears. He cradled Sirius' still body to his own, running his hands over broad skin soothingly.

They kissed again, brushing lips gently and breathing in each other. Sirius mumbled a few things that Remus could hardly make out, but it really didn't seem to matter. All that was important was that they were together, and no string of words could amount to the importance of that fact. As he drifted into sleep with Sirius wrapped around him, Remus looked forward to yet one day more with him.

A.N./ Again, reviews are always appreciated and loved. I have an idea for a full-length story, but seeing as I have eleven more days 'til school starts and I have two more books to read, I will have to work on it later. I just had to get this one out as quickly as I could, for reasons of my own. First, to stake my claim that Remus and Sirius are still together in my mind, and secondly, to make myself feel better. This is even unbetad in all it's rushed and emotionally ridden glory. I hope you liked it all the same.


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